Statistics Bureau Expands Nationwide Household Income Survey to Addu, Laamu, and Noonu

The Maldives Bureau of Statistics is extending its nationwide Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) to three additional atolls this week. The expansion includes Addu City, Laamu, and Noonu atolls, with field work scheduled to continue through June 28. Launched in February, the HIES is conducted every five to six years to provide a comprehensive analysis of the economic conditions facing Maldivian households. The agency has already completed two rounds of data collection in Kaafu and Meemu atolls before moving operations into the islands last month. The survey serves as a critical tool for national planning. Its primary objectives are to identify average spending patterns and determine the country’s official Poverty Standard. Additionally, the data will be used to revise the weightings of the Market Price Index (CPI) and analyze the gap between average household income and expenditure distribution. To ensure accuracy, enumerators will record weekly expenditures alongside broader costs covering three, six, and twelve-month periods. The scope of data collection is extensive, covering general household characteristics, living standards, property ownership, employment, and specific costs related to healthcare and transportation. In total, 4,095 households will be surveyed, with 2,085 located in the capital, Male’, and 2,010 distributed across the atolls. The Bureau has requested the cooperation of local officials to ensure enumerators have seamless access to participating households. Officials emphasized that all gathered information will remain strictly confidential, handled only by authorized officers in accordance with national statistical privacy standards. Once completed, the findings will be reviewed and published by the Maldives Bureau of Statistics. These insights are expected to play a pivotal role in guiding government policymakers in the development of poverty-reduction strategies, inflation monitoring, and the implementation of social-support programs across the archipelago.